In 1987, Dr. James Maragos assisted the Army Corps of Engineers in surveying Palmyra for a long overdue cleanup project, to remove materials left from the World War 2 Naval occupation. Dr. Maragos used the opportunity to photograph the atoll, especially its reefs and sea life. This material was scanned and catalogued as part of the Palmyra Atoll Digital Archive project, the largest collection of materials related to the history of Palmyra, from its discovery by western explorers in 1798, until...
Topics: palmyra atoll, palmyra island, history, pacific ocean, south pacific, islands, usfws, nature...
In 1979, a small group of scientists and US officials, flew to Palmyra on a classified mission to asses the feasibility of storing nuclear waste on the atoll. The group encountered difficulties with their aircraft along the way, and despite efforts to maintain secrecy, the press (and Palmyra's owners) found out about the trip. Ultimately, the plan was deemed too dangerous and plans abandoned. These photos, taken by Dr. James Maragos, are the only known visual record of the visit. This material...
Topics: palmyra atoll, palmyra island, history, pacific ocean, south pacific, islands, usfws, nature...
From the document's introduction: "The present survey was conducted as part of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers exploratory program involving locating and sampling potential contaminants left on Palmyra Atoll during the military occupation of the area during World War II. The primary purpose of the wildlife survey reported here was to identify important wildlife resources of Palmyra Atoll and to determine if there are potential effects of a possible contaminant cleanup operation. Another...
Topics: palmyra atoll, palmyra island, history, pacific ocean, south pacific, islands, usfws, nature...
